Anyone who's recently been to Playa d'en Bossa, Ibiza will surely have seen those groups of fit, tanned people gliding smoothly and leisurely through the crystal clear waters of the Balearic sea.
Paddle-surfing is the latest big thing. It involves balancing on top of a ‘longboard' (a bit like a surf board) and then gliding through the water with the help of a ‘paddle' (a bit like a boat's oar).
It's incredibly popular this year, especially down at Playa d'en Bossa where Aloha SUP School offer a complete, hour-long initiation to the sport, teaching you how to balance and expertly supervising your progress.
It's cracking good fun ladies and gents, with much falling over and loss of dignity at first, gradually leading to mastery (ha!) and an equal amount of gleeful showing off afterwards!
For those who have, ahem, over-indulged a tad, the great news is that stand-up paddle-boarding is also the perfect cross training exercise, giving both your heart and your muscles a good workout. Your exertion levels are entirely up to you too, the experience can be gentle or thorough - it's all tailored to your preference. Cool huh?
If, after your initiation class, you fancy going on an organised paddle-surf tour, known as a ‘SUPfari' then that's available too, there's even a magical full-moon SUPfari excursion for the more adventurous. We at Spotlight think this sounds like an amazing way to see the coast of Ibiza and what's more, right now they're offering a chunky discount of over 20% on their 1 hour initiation class.
How much? Was €45, now just €36. A fab way to see Ibiza in a totally different way whilst learning a brand-new sport. Spotlight says YEH!
If this sounds like the kind of thing that floats your boat dear reader, then you can book easily online in advance. It takes two minutes, just click here. Happy surfing!
WORDS | Jane Charilaou PHOTOS | Aloha SUP School Ibiza